Pneumatic cushion for vehicles.



a. J. BANGROFT. PNEUMATIC CUSHION FOB VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 18, 1908.

980, 1 38. v Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

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a. J. BANGROPT. PNEUMATIC CUSHION FOR VEHICLES.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 18, 1908.

Patented Dec.27,1910.

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GEORGE J. BANCROF'I, 01? DENVER, COLORADO.

PNEUMATIC CUSHION FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed March 18, 1908. Serial No. 421,958.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. BANoRor'r, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Cushions forVehicles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invent-ion relates to improvements in pneumatic cushions interposedbetween the axles and thesprings of automobiles or other vehicles, theobject being to locate the pneumatic elements just above the axles andnear the opposite ends thereof, whereby a cushion effect is producedsimilar to that resulting from the use of pneumatic tires. here myimprovement is employed the pneumatic tires may be dispensed with.

It is well known that the liability to puncture makes the pneumatic tireobjectionable on vehicles. In my improved construction I employ apneumatic element so located that it cannot be punctured since it issupported as above indicated, entirely above the ground and it isimpossible to puncture it. In the specific construction shown, Iinterpose a circular pneumatic tube between a dishshaped seat secured tothe axle, and a coneshaped bearing attached to each spring of thevehicle, the tube being of sufiicient size and properly inflated, togive the desired cushion elfect, without the use of pneumatic tires.

Having briefly out-lined my improved construction, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail reference being made to the accompanyingdrawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In this drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a vehicle equipped withmy improve ments. Fig. 2 is a topplan view of the same with the bodyremoved. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on a larger scale taken throughone of the pneumatic elements and the parts wit-h which it is connected.In this view the pneumatic tube is in the fully expanded position. Fig.at is a section taken on the line 4-4 Fig. 3, the pneumatic tube beingcompressed whereby the cone-shaped bearing and the seat are caused toapproach each other.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the axles of a vehicle as an automobile.

As shown in the drawing the numeral 6 designates a bearing for oneextremity of either axle. The upper part of this hearing is providedwith horizontally arranged flanges 7 to which is secured a dish-shapedmember 8 by means of screws 9 to which are applied nuts 10, the saidscrews being passed through the bottom of the dishshaped element. Therim or upwardlyprojecting part 13 of the element '8 ex tends outwardlyas it projects upwardly whereby the part is outwardly flared orinclined. This element forms a seat for a cir cular pneumatic tube 14,upon which rests a cone-shaped bearing 15 securedto the sprin 16 bybolts 17 to which nuts 18 are applie above the spring and also below theto 19 of the bearing 15. This bearing is ho low and open at the bottomasshown at 20. The bolts 17 pass through unthreaded openings A formed inthe bottom 12 of the seat 8, the said openings being considerably largerthan the bolts, whereby these bolts are allowed to move freely not onlydownwardly through the bottom of the seat but are also allowed a lateralrocking movement in all directions when suflicient force is applied tocause the elements 15 and 8 to approach each other at any point. Thereis a special advantage in employing the circular shape of pneumatictube, since this particular shape arrests shocks in all directionswhether laterally or vertically applied. The only function of thesebolts is to connect the elements 8 and 15 with the spring 16 and preventthe possible separation o the said elements. The hollow cone-shapedmember 19 and the member 12 form an air chamber which is tightly sealedby the tube 1 1 when the two members 12 and 19 approach each other,thereby causing the air to be compressed therein and assisting inarresting the shocks to the vehicle.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of my improvementwill be readily understood. When the vehicle is in use, the vibrationincident to the roughness of the road is taken up bythe tubes 14 whichas indicated in the drawing are four in number, two being over each axleand one beneath each spring.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

The combination with a vehicle, of a hollow member having inclined sidesoutwardly flared from the bottom of the member, the latter being open atthe top and secured to the running gear of the vehicle, a pneumatic tubeseated in said member and engaging the inclined sides thereof, a hollow,inverted bearing open at the bottom, secured to a spring of the vehicle,the said bearing having inclined sides, inwardly flared from the basethereof, the outer surface of its inclined walls engaging said tube, thecooperating bearing and hollow member being of counterpart shape andseparated by the said tube, connecting bolts passing through the bearingand hollow member, the openings in the hollow member, through which thebolts pass, being considerably larger in diameter than the said bolts,to allow the bearing and hollow member an independent movement, wherebythe vibrations incident to the travel of the vehicle are taken up by thepneumatic tube.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. BANGROFT. Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN,

DENA NELSON.

